It's Here!

On Friday afternoon I had an unexpected notification that I had a parcel at the post office to be picked up - my new treeless saddle!

It's been about a 4 1/2 month wait for this saddle. I think it was actually ready at the beginning of January but the saddle pads were delayed in arriving. I hadn't received any notice that it had shipped so it was a bit of a surprise.

It is a shortened flap Sensation dressage saddle.

You will note that the stirrups attach mid-flap. One concern with treeless saddles is how to spread the rider's weight from the stirrups. The Sensation saddles recommended way is to have your stirrup leather attach to the bottom of the flap, which distributes the weight over the length of the flap versus a stirrup bar at the top that can create a pressure point. However, I'm too short to use this method. This mid-flap attachment is a discontinued method of distributing the weight, and they offered to do my saddle up with this feature. It got good reviews when I asked on a Facebook forum so I decided to try it.

A fixed stirrup leather means that I need to rethink my stirrup irons. I had a hard time deciding on safety stirrups, and settled on these Icelandic stirrups. They have a 180-degree eye at the top for the leather to feed through, and S-curves on both sides. I am hoping the angled stirrup treads that I like to use will fit in these stirrups, which is the main reason that I chose them. I still have to put the treads in, and if they work, I need to try to find a set in black. My white ones will really stand out in a negative way.

I had a custom cantle design added to it. It's actually navy on black, but the navy is not really noticeable. They had warned me of this, but it was what I decided. I know it's there. 

On Friday night I got out late to the barn so I just had time to get it all sorted out and pop it on each horse for a picture. I'm planning to ride in it on Monday (Sunday the weather got super cold again - when will this end?), and once I make sure it's all good I need to get my old one listed so that I can sell it. 

Short little flaps do not look like a dressage saddle! And they could probably be shorter!

I also have to figure out a way to "run up" my stirrups. With these short little leathers I definitely can't do it the traditional way. I will either do a strap with clips or Velcro so that I can attach them over the seat of the saddle, or I've seen a fleecy stirrup holder thing that I will make.

Fingers crossed it rides as well as my old one does!